Leanna

        NAGING TAHIMIK si Trevor nang marating nila ang bahay. Leanna was worried if she said something that bothered him. But she just ignored it muna and tried to focus on this dinner that Jane prepared for them. When they entered inside, Jane is already putting the food sa table.

"Hala ang aga niyo.", sabi nito at lumapit sa kanila, "Upo na kayo, kukunin ko lang yung drinks."

Naupo na din sila Leanna at Trevor habang tinitignan ang pagkain na nasa mesa. Nandun ang paborito ni Leanna na chicken adobo, macaroni salad sa gilid at ang empanada.

"Ate Leanna may nabili pala akong soju. Diba sabi mo masarap ito?" Sabi ni Jane na ikinagulat niya. Nanood kasi sila kagabi ng kdrama at nagtanong si Jane kung ano ito. Di naman niya alam na bibili ito. Napalingon sa kanya si Trevor dahil dito.

"Ahh... Nakakalasing iyan Jane. Diba di ka pa sanay malasing?" Tanong niya dito.

"Ehh ate naman akala ko ba okay lang sa akin?" At ayun napasapo nalang si Leanna sa kanyang mukha nang marinig niya iyon. Napangiti nalang si Trevor sa nakita.

"Pwede ka uminom niyan Jane, isang baso lang." Pagpapayag nito sa kapatid niya. Napangiti nalang si Jane at agad na naupo para makakain na sila.

Nanalangin si Jane bago sila kumain. "Dear Lord, thank you kasi kasama ko si Kuya Trevor at Ate Leanna sa espesyal na araw ngayon. Sa aking pagkapasa sa Ateneo at sa lahat ng pagkain na nasa hapag namin ngayon. Nagpapasalamat din ako sa lahat ng blessings na ibinigay niyo sa amin ni Kuya at healthy po kami pareho. Sana po Lord maging okay na ang lahat at magkaroon na ng totoong imbestigasyon sa aksidente ni Tita Mommy at Ate Faithy. Ito po ang aking panalangin sa ngalan ni Hesus, amen."

Matapos manalangin ni Jane ay agad naman silang nagsimulang kumain. Kukunin sana niya ang kanin nang maunahan siya ni Trevor at nilagyan ang kanyang plato. Ito din ang ginawa nito sa kapatid.

Nagpatuloy silang kumain nang biglang magsalita si Trevor, "May gift pala ako sayo." Sabi nito sabay bigay ng regalo na agad namang binuksan ni Jane.

Nang mabuksan na niya ito, ang nasa loob ay isang kwintas na may pendant na eroplano. Jane will be taking up Tourism kasi pangarap niyang maging stewardess. Ngumiti siya ng pagkatamis sa kanyang Kuya. "Salamat Kuya. I will wear this everyday to remind me of my goal."

"Dapat lang! Sa akin galing yan. Magtatampo ako kapag hindi mo isinuot iyan."

Nagtatawanan lang sila nang biglang may nag doorbell sa labas. Leanna offered to open the door so she stood up and went to it. Nang mabuksan niya ito ay bumungad sa kanya ang isang lalaking naka business suit. He's like a man on his mid fifties and may dala siyang bulaklak.

"Ikaw ba ang kasintahan ni Trevor?" Tanong nito sa kanya.

"Yes po. Nasa loob po silang dalawa. Tamang-tama naghanda si Jane. Pasok po kayo." Pag-imbita niya sa bagong dating.

She guided him to the dining room at agad naman itong sinalubong ni Jane. "Dada?! Wahhhh! I can't believe you're here! You said you were busy." Bati nito sa kanyang ama at niyakap ito.

"I told you that because I was gonna surprise you.", He then handed the flowers he's holding. "Ito para sayo. Congrats on your application. You're officially a college student now."

"Thanks dad. Anyways si Ate Leanna pala, Kuya's girlfriend. Ang ganda niya right?"

Trevor's father looked at Leanna. She felt tense, it's the first time she met Trevor's father.

Trevor's father smiled at her. "It's nice to meet you hija." He said as he sat beside his daughter.

Trevor is kind of confused why his father is with them. "Dad, why are you here?"

"Well I invited Dada kuya. Don't worry he won't force you to take over the company." Pagsasabat ni Jane.

Leanna can tell that Trevor is not comfortable with his father around. Alam niyang nadismaya ito dahil hindi na nito itinuloy ang pagiging tagapagmana ng kompanya nila. Well she really did her research.

Trevor

      MEDYO NAGULAT si Trevor nang makita ang ama na kasama nila sa hapag. His dad never came in every special occasion of his childhood hanggang sa naka graduate na siya sa college. But he never became mad at him.

"So how was my son with you, Leanna?" Nagtatanong ito kay Leanna.

"Well, mabait naman po siya. He helps me coping up with some things even at work."

"I really hate my son for being so hardheaded. But I hope he'll have a change of heart."

His father really wanted him to take over the business. He wants it too but the pain he felt from the accident that killed his mom and fiancé made him decline the position.

"Dad you know the reason why I can't." He said, helping his dad remember his reasons.

Leanna smiles. "Sa tingin ko po, Trevor will decide on that when he's ready." Sumabat na siya na ikinatahimik ng mag-ama.

Leanna's words eased the old man's rants. "Well you are really something Miss Montecillo. Well I'll hold on to that."

Natapos na din ang dinner nila at sumama si Jane sa Dad nito. Leanna and Trevor were both left inside.

"You don't have to talk back at my Dad." Sabi nito habang tinutulungan siyang maghugas ng pinggan.

"Well it's my responsibility to defend you. Atleast naging klaro na sa kanya ang rason mo." Leanna said while scrubbing the plates.

Ganun lang ang ginagawa nila but he remembered again the time nung sila pa ni Faithy ang magkasamang naghuhugas ng pinggan. Time indeed flies so fast. Faithy is now dead so is his mom. Jane will be in college and.... he have Leanna now.

"You never mentioned that much about your family." Biglang sabi ni Trevor. He's curious of her family too.

Leanna just kept on washing the dishes. "My adoptive parents. They were all fine until I decided to look for my biological family."

"So you were just an adopted child."

"Yeah but I never received hate from my cousins and relatives in my adoptive parents side. They even wanted me to be part of their business but I still wanted to find my parents first."

Napangiti si Trevor sa narinig at agad na pinunasan ang huling plato bago ito nilagay sa lalagyan. "Mahahanap mo din sila."

They finished washing the dishes. Nagpaalam si Leanna na umalis dahil may tumatawag daw sa kanya. While Trevor gets a call also from the investigator he hired for Faithy and his mom's accident. He believed na hindi aksidente ang nangyari sa kanila.

"Well Mr. Trevor, there were evidences about the car crash pero I will still try to dig deeper on this case.", He said as he explained about his investigation on the incident.

"Ituloy mo lang yan. I want to make sure that we can find a clue on what really happened to them."

"Of course! That's why I accepted the job kasi I believe that there was a foul play on this case.". His investigator said. "I'll inform you again for updates."

They ended the call. Trevor is really making sure to know what really happened, whatever it takes.

Leanna

WHEN LEANNA left and went upstairs, agad niyang sinagot ang tawag ni Magenta. "Any updates?". Bungad niya dito.

"Well the man slipped a word saying he was paid to go inside your unit and threaten you.". Sabi ni Magenta sa kabilang linya.

"Who paid him?"

"Sabi niya babae daw. He said that this girl wanted you out of her life for good."

Napaisip si Leanna. Who would do such a thing? No one has a grudge on her except Trevor's admirers. Sobrang dami nila that she can't get a clue kung sino sa kanila ang dapat niyang bantayan.

"Just tell me more updates pag pumiyok na iyan." She firmly said.

"Mag-iingat ka Leanna." Magenta said and ended the call.

She felt tense nang malaman niya ang sinabi ni Magenta. She was used to this on her line of work sa corporation, but she never expected na pati buhay niya ay mapapahamak. She just want to meet her biological family and itanong sa kanila lahat ng mga gusto niyang itanong.

Sweet little Leanna, iyan ang naiisip niya sa tuwing naalala niya ang totoong pamilya niya. Wala man siyang maalala sa mga ito but she can remember them by heart. Alam niyang inaantay din siya ng pamilya niya. She was just busy looking at their veranda nang lapitan siya ng kaniyang Mamá.

"Something bothering you hija?" Her Mamá asked her.

"I'm just wondering how are my parents back in the Philippines. I don't remember them but I feel that they miss me."

"Of course they will hija. We will do the same if we lost you or your hermano. We love you so much Leanna." Her Mamá said and hugged her. 

Her Papá came into the scene and tickled her, while her hermano is just there laughing. She is happy that she have this family and she will be more happier to meet her real family in the future.

Leanna stopped herself from calling and crying on her padres. She promised herself not to call them once she gives up or she falls on someone she shouldn't have.

"Leanna?" Tinatawag na pala siya ni Trevor na nasa labas ng kwarto niya.

Agad naman niyang binuksan ang pinto at nakita si Trevor na nakangiti sa kanya. For her stay in the country where she lost her family, this man gave her warmth. He made her believe that she'll meet her family again.

"Are you okay?" He asked then went near her.

She just smiled. "I'm okay. Don't worry about me."

"May nangyari ba? You can tell me?"

"Pwede yumakap?"

Out of nowhere, she hugged him. Trevor was left on shock pero niyakap niya pa rin ito. "Thank you for always been here with me."

"No problem, love."

Leanna looked at him, shocked on the term her used to call her. "Anong love?"

"I think we need an endearment. Since we're in a relationship in public so, we...."

Pero hindi tinapos ni Trevor ang sinabi niya nang niyakap siya ulit ni Leanna. She can't explain what she felt at that moment. It was like a total bliss at walang makakapantay ng saya na naramdaman niya.

Author's Note:

So everyone might be wondering while it's taking a while for me to upload chapters. Well apart sa kakulangan sa internet resources dito, we also experienced Typhoon Odette. Grabe talaga damage nun even if di naman kami yung natamaan talaga. Still we got shutdown sa resources for almost a month and so. Internet connection was down, electricity and even our classes was moved. (I'm still a student, 2nd year college.) That is why I'm asking for the time and patience to those who might read this!

Let us also pray for the victims of the Typhoon Odette. Na sana makabangon na sila at this time because we've been there. Maswerte lang kami dito sa Cebu Province kasi wala masyadong impact dito sa amin.

I remember the time when we were travelling for my cousin's wedding in Danao. Nung nasa Compostela na kami, yung mga kahoy sa daan wala nang mga dahon. Kalbo talaga siya and yung kuryente is along the road pa meron. I hope oks na situation doon.

Also Viva Pit Senyor! And Viva Snr. San Antonio De Abad! It's been a hectic start of the year since January is full of festivities. If you wanna see it guys, you can follow me on Instagram. @lalaijade.

So still will be a slow update for this one since may classes na kami this February and I will also focus sa project ko sa Webnovel. So thank you so much for the support!! ♡︎

- ilyshan_naih!